CORVALLIS - You could argue that this bye week for Oregon State isn’t particularly well-timed.

The
Beavers, still fresh after the postponement of the season opener,
obviously have momentum after their 10-7 upset of Wisconsin. And after this
weekend, they will play 10 Saturdays in a row.

“More than that, right now, we’ve hardly played,’’ OSU coach Mike Riley said after Tuesday's practice.
“We’re in the third week of the season and we’ve played one game, but
we’re not going to worry about it.’’

But it’s far better to savor a win for two weeks than to agonize over a loss.

“It’s just miserable when you lose a game and you have to wait a long time to play again,’’ coach Mike Riley said.

And
we can’t underestimate the importance of a breakthrough victory right
before the OSU coaches hit the recruiting trail this weekend.

“The residuals to winning are very diverse,’’ Riley said, “and one of them is recruiting – it’s a good thing.’’

UCLA impresses: When the Beavers finally do get back at it, on Sept. 22 in Pasadena, they will face a UCLA team that currently sits atop the Pac-12 in total offense (650 yards per game) and rushing yards (344 per game), thanks to two-time Pac-12 offensive player of the week Johnathan Franklin.

“Somebody new is leading the league in offense right now, and it’s UCLA,’’ Riley said. “They are all over the place athletically – they’re a real good-looking team.’’

As for the league as a whole, Riley said competitiveness is “at an all-time high.’’Injury notes: Center Isaac Seumalo (hip), tight end Connor Hamlett (knee) and fullback Clayton York (hamstring) sat out Tuesday. Hamlett’s doesn’t appear serious, and Riley said he hopes York will begin practicing Monday. As for Seumalo, Monday and Tuesday were prescribed rest days, and he could return Wednesday. The injury, a strained muscle in the hip area, has been a recurring one for Seumalo.